U.S. District Court Judge William Shubb has apparently had enough of annoying ring tones disrupting his courtroom. Witnesses say he became so enraged when a phone went off during court last week that he confronted the thoroughly embarrassed elderly cell owner and ordered her to hand over the offending device.

According to the Sacramento News & Review, witnesses said Shubb then proceeded to hurl the handset out into the hallway. The judge defended his actions, saying, "I didn't throw it; I tossed it." Nevertheless, when the woman retrieved her phone, it was out of commission, SN&R said.

Shubb then commanded deputies to confiscate every other cell phone in the room, and later posted signs on his courtroom doors that read, "All persons are ordered to turn their cell phones off."

He apologized later, saying, "I regret that I had to take such severe measures."

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Erica Ogg is a CNET News reporter who covers Apple, HP, Dell, and other PC makers, as well as the consumer electronics industry. She's also one of the hosts of CNET News' Daily Podcast. In her non-work life, she's a history geek, a loyal Dodgers fan, and a mac-and-cheese connoisseur.
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